Friday December 4, 8:30 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Carnegie President Knows 'Lucent
Loves Lucy,' But Says His
Company's 'MAVIS is Marvelous!'
BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 1998--When
Lowell Farkas, president of Carnegie International Corporation
(OTC: BB CAGI) saw last week's Chicago Tribune article on
Lucent Technology Inc. (NYSE: LU - news) and voice recognition technology, he wasn't mad or
envious, even though his company is also an industry pioneer.
''When a world-class company like Lucent speaks up for voice recognition technology,'' said
Farkas, ''people listen. We know -- our phones began ringing off the hook after the article
(''Lucent speaks loudest in selling voice recognition technology'') appeared. Luckily,'' he said,
''we didn't have to answer the calls personally. That was done by MAVIS(tm) (for
Multi-Language Automated Voice Independent System), our entirely voice-activated auto
attendant and voice mail system that communicates intelligently with callers.''
Farkas said ''Lucent foresees its new voice recognition system (dubbed 'Lucy') as a digital
personal assistant. MAVIS, which Carnegie unveiled this summer at major telephony industry
events in Europe and the U.S., is that and much, much more -- a powerful business solution that
uses advanced, proprietary voice recognition software. It answers and screens calls, recognizes
names or departments requested, and then routes the calls accordingly.'' MAVIS's interface, he
said, is available in English and all foreign languages supported through licensed Lernout &
Hauspie (NASDAQ: LHSPF - news) software, and Dialogic (NASDAQ: DLGC - news) CPU
telephony cards.''
Extolling the virtues and versatility of MAVIS, Farkas said it can be used 24 hours a day, 365
days a year, or after hours, on weekends, or when incoming call volume requires support for
''only-human'' operators. It can be tailored to the needs of any business or organization wanting a
21st century solution to answering and processing incoming calls. ''What's more,'' he said, ''it runs
on any existing business telephone system, and even supports voice messages, faxes and e-mail!''
Legitimizing Voice Technology
''When someone like Richard Di Pietro, Lucent's technology planning director, tells the Chicago
Tribune that voice recognition technology is a 'fact of life, it helps legitimize the technology,''
Farkas said. ''It's like 1981 when IBM changed the eclectic microcomputer business into the
worldwide PC industry!
''The global telecommunications industry is valued at some $1.5 trillion,'' Farkas said ''and we
thank Lucent and Mr. Di Pietro for voicing their opinion in agreement that voice recognition will be
one of its rising stars. And,'' Farkas added with a wink, ''we might even love Lucy if we didn't
think our own MAVIS was so darn marvelous!''
Carnegie International Corporation (OTC: BB CAGI) is a holding company specializing in
Internet, telephony and telecommunications products, services and distribution. Carnegie's primary
wholly-owned subsidiaries include: RomNet Support Services, Inc., an Internet, e-business and
technical support services company based in Boston; Profit Through Telecommunications
(Europe) Ltd. (PTT), a telecommunications software company providing business solutions
utilizing proprietary speech recognition, touch tone and bar code responses to send and/or receive
information; Talidan, a reseller marketing telephone time and information at discounted rates in
Europe, South America, and other emerging markets, ACC Telecom of Columbia, Maryland, a
leading reseller of equipment and business telephone systems from Comdial (NASDAQ: CMDL -
news), SONY® (NYSE: SNE - news), and Sprint® (NYSE: FON - news), and Voice Quest,
Inc., of Sarasota, Florida, a developer and provider of speech recognition and voice mail
technologies and products.. For the first half of fiscal 1998 ended June 30, Carnegie reported total
income of $8.9 million and after-tax basic earnings per share of $0.075. For fiscal 1997, Carnegie
reported total income of $6.9 million and after-tax basic earnings per share of $0.07.
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a ''safe harbor'' for forward-looking
statements. Certain information included in this Press Release (as well as information in oral
statements or other written statements made or to be made by Carnegie International Corporation)
contain statements that are forward-looking, such as statements relating to the future anticipated
direction of the telecommunications industry, plans for future expansion, various business
development activities, planned capital expenditures, future funding sources, anticipated sales
growth, and potential contracts. Such forward-looking information involves important risks and
uncertainties that could significantly affect anticipated results in the future, and accordingly, such
results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of
Carnegie International Corporation. These risks and uncertainties included, but are not limited to,
those relating to development and expansion activities, dependence on existing management,
financing activities, domestic and global economic conditions, change in Federal or state laws, and
market competition factors.
MAVIS is a trademark of Carnegie International Corporation. Other trademarks are properties of
their respective owners.
Contact:
Carnegie International Corporation
Lowell Farkas
+(410) 785-7400
lfarkas@carnegieint.com
or
The Kaminer Group
David A. Kaminer
+ (914) 684-1934
dkaminer@kamgrp.com
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